Next steps following the video
Returning to work will be a challenge. There are many things to consider and prepare before returning to work, and many new procedures such as screening will become part of new routines. One thing is clear, you cannot return to work the same way you did before COVID-19. It can be lot to try and work through all the best practices and regulations at once. Here you will find a brief step-by-step guide to help you and your team to get started with the most critical steps.
Step: Define your return to work policy and protocols
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Action: Appoint your COVID-19 manager and COVID-19 compliance officer (these can be two different people, depending on the size of your business). These two roles will be instrumental in developing, designing and executing your return to work policy and protocols
- Suggest timeline: as soon as possible, before returning to work
- Suggested tool: COVID-19 Manager Appointment Template
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Action: Get informed on all relevant information regarding returning to work and operating during COVID-19. Make sure you follow and keep up to date with the latest government regulations and recommendations, as well as best practices from the WHO (your COVID-19 managers should be instrumental here)
- Suggest timeline: as soon as the COVID-19 manager and compliance officer have been appointed
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Action: Run return to work readiness / gap (self-audit) with the COVID-19 manager to identify any gaps you need to cover before you can return to work
- Suggest timeline: after appointing manager and compliance officer before returning to work
- Suggested tool: COVID-19 Workplace Readiness Self Audit
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Action: Develop your COVID-19 return to work policy ensuring compliance to regulation and adherence to best practices with regards to ensuring the health and safety of your employees
- Suggest timeline: 1 day after appointing your COVID-19 officer and manager and before returning to work
Step: Develop risk assessment and mitigation plan
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Action: Run a risk assessment of your workplace / facilities and office(s) and develop your risk assessment and risk mitigation plan including identifying high risk employees (age >60, medically relevant pre-conditions)
- Suggest timeline: 1 day after developing policy before returning to work
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Action: Define key protocols and procedures on how to deal with various key situations, including:
- Health and temperature screening at work
- Handling continued remote work for high risk employees
- Dealing with suspected infected cases at work, including how to communicate these to your employees
- Dealing with confirmed infected cases at work, including how to communicate these to your employees including how to communicate these to your employees
- Suggest timeline: 1 day after developing policy before returning to work
Step: Communicating policies and protocols to employees
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Action: Ensure that the new COVID-19 workplace policies and protocols have been communicated, understood and acknowledged by all employees
- Suggest timeline: after developing policy and protocols and before returning to work
Step: Preparing to return to work
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Action: Ensure your facilities and office(s) are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and comply to regulation and best practices to ensure the health and safety of your employees (e.g. min. 1.5 meters between employees)
- Suggest timeline: min 1 day before returning to work
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Action: Ensure you have stocks PPE to be able to issue them to your employees and comply with regulations and best practices, including sufficient amounts of hand sanitizer and their safe storage
- Suggest timeline: min 1 day before returning to work
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Action: Set up the workplace screen (e.g. measuring temperature when entering office) as per your defined policy and protocols. Make sure that people are sufficiently trained to perform the screening.
- Suggest timeline: before returning to work
